The polyphenylene ether (also known as polyphenylene oxide) resins are a well known family or engineering plastics capable of being extruded, molded or otherwise shaped into articles of various shapes and sizes. A number of these resins and methods for their preparation are disclosed by Allan Hay in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,306,874 and 3,306,875, and by Gelu Stamatoff in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,257,357 and 3,257,358.
It is known from Cizek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435, and elsewhere, that polyphenylene ethers are admixable with polystyrene to form blends having good properties.
Blends of polyphenylene ether and poly(4-tert-butylstyrene) in particular, after molding, have been found to be too brittle, with low tensile strength.